Spartanburg City Council votes to close T.K. Gregg Center

Spartanburg City Council voted to close the T.K. Gregg Recreation Center Monday night in anticipation of opening a new center on the Northside.

By LYNNE P. SHACKLEFORDlynne.shackleford@shj.com

Spartanburg City Council voted Monday to close T.K. Gregg Recreation Center to designate funds used to operate the center for a new Northside Community Center. Councilwoman Linda Dogan and Councilman Robert Reeder voted against closing the center.The center, used mostly for the gymnasium, costs about $100,000 annually to operate and is open Monday through Thursday from 5 to 9 p.m. The resolution, approved by council, designates $100,000 now used to operate the center to go into a “sinking” or capital fund for a new Northside center that will be built within the next five years. The new center will be named in honor of T.K. Gregg, a prominent African-American physician, the resolution states.City Manager Ed Memmott made the recommendation to close the center after a public forum and subsequent council budget work session. Memmott said for every dollar spent on operating or repairing the current center is one dollar not spent on a new Northside Community Center. Memmott asked for council to decide on upgrading the existing facility, which could not likely attract new outside investment, or to support a new Northside center. Dogan, who represents the Northside on council, said she was angry at the city's intention to close the “oldest recreation center for the black community.” She asked Memmott whether the current facility, once closed, would be “another boarded-up facility,”Memmott responded that there are no plans for the land where the current center sits. Memmott has said that the building would likely be demolished once closed.“The facility needs a substantial amount of work,” Memmott said. “Our ability to attract funds is largely dependent on building a new center that is part of the Northside effort.”Dogan asked whether it could be stipulated in writing that funds used to operate T.K. Gregg would specifically go toward a new center. The resolution, included in council's packet distributed on Thursday, states that future annual contributions of at least $100,000 to the replacement center sinking fund will continue until construction of the new center is under way.Memmott said that council could only designate funds for this and next year's budget and the current council couldn't bind a future council in an action, but could stipulate in writing their intent for the funds. The city could attract at least half of the costs of building a new center from outside sources, including grant and foundation funds and federal tax credits, Memmott said. “We think this is the best chance to attract outside money,” Memmott said. “Ms. Dogan, we'll go after every source we can.”Reeder asked where the designated funds would go if plans for a future T.K. Gregg center fall through to which Memmott said the council in place at that time would decide how to designate those funds. “If we don't (build a new center), I'll find a way to take action on the city,” Dogan said. Councilman Sterling Anderson II echoed Dogan's comments on the history and legacy left by Dr. Gregg. “I absolutely agree that the funds should be appropriated in that direction and we are here to do what's in the best interest of all people and building a new center is what makes sense,” Anderson said. “You never want to close a center and reduce services, but we have to look at the long-term plan and that makes the most sense.”Anderson said he hoped a new center would be built in a shorter time-frame than five years.Councilwoman Jan Scalisi said a new community center would be the “lynchpin” for the Northside and said it will have a big impact for that area. Mayor Junie White said nothing short of the “sky falling” would stop the plans for a new T.K. Gregg Community Center.“We will go forward,” White said. “A lot of people are backing this. It will happen.”After the meeting, Community Services Director Mitch Kennedy said he didn't see council's vote as closing a center, but investing in a new, modern center that would serve the entire Northside community.

- Council voted unanimously in support of relocating a refurbished Southern Railway caboose to the Hub City Railroad Museum on Magnolia Street. The caboose, which will have a model train and railroad films, will be moved to the depot station in about six weeks.- Council voted to rename Piedmont Street, in the Forest Park subdivision, to Lawrence Johnson Sr. Lane. Johnson, who died in 1983, purchased the land where the neighborhood is located in the 1920s.- Council allocated $93,212 in federal Community Development Block Grant funds to 11 nonprofit agencies. Councilman Jerome Rice said in the future, he would rather council allocate money to two agencies to get a “bigger bang for the buck.” Councilman Robert Reeder said all of the agencies need funding, regardless of how small the amount.All nonprofit organizations were awarded the same amount as last year.No funds were awarded to Operation Restoration or Stroble Glaucoma, which didn't receive grant funds last year.The following agencies were approved for funding: Art in Motion ($2,117); Bethlehem Center ($5,098); Big Brothers, Big Sisters ($4,638); Butterfly Foundation ($2,550); Christmas in Action ($10,200 for administrative and $15,300 for projects); COLORS ($5,385); Drug Court ($24,352); SAFEHOME Rape Crisis ($5,950); S.C. Legal Services ($3,653); Upstate Homeless Coalition ($5,100); and Urban League ($3,247).Council also allocated CDBG administration funds for code enforcement, neighborhood services and rehabilitation administration. Federal HOME funds were dispersed to Spartanburg Housing Development community housing development, Beaumont Village and Converse Street projects. - Budget Director James Kennedy told council that from July 1 to March 31, revenues are in-line with projections although staff predicts a 20 percent shortfall in delinquent property taxes. General fund expenditures are also in-line with projections, he said.